Watch Your Step
by LightningsShadow118
Summary: A friend in need's a friend indeed. A friend that laughs when you kick him in the face is better.


**~Author's Notes~**

_I love ATLA as much as the next person. It's hard not to fall in love with the characters. But I also love the relationships each of them developed as the show drew to a close. (Note that when I say 'relationships', I do not mean romantic relationships. I do not fight in the "Kataang vs. Zutara" war. Actually, I think it's a rather pointless ordeal. In my opinion, Katara kissed Aang. End of story.) I especially enjoyed the conflict between Katara and Zuko, how they battled with and against one another, and how they eventually learned to trust one another. They make a good team. And so spawned this._

_This is just a plotbunny. It could use some touching up no doubt, but I don't think it's necessary. I like it the way it is, awkward mistakes and all._

_Ramble's longer than the story, wth? Read! Enjoy. Comment. Even if you have nothing to say, comment. Makes me all happy inside._

**~Author's Notes~**

Somewhere under the starry midnight sky, there was a war raging far off. Weapons were being fired, blood was being spilt, and fathers were dying for their nation.

Here, however, all was calm. The crickets were playing their song as the grass swayed and the wind skittered along the land. Within the sheltering valley of choice that night, two benders were wide awake.

"D'oof!" Zuko shouted and fell back. He rubbed his scarred eye. "What was that for!"

Katara stifled a laugh, her cut foot suspended in front of her as she sat perched on a rock. "Sorry, Zuko. It was reflexive; my feet are sensitive, you know."

He groaned as his eye throbbed harder. "Duly noted."

Zuko sat back up and grabbed her ankle to resume examining and healing her cut. This time she didn't protest or kick him in the face. He held the bottom, soft side of her foot still and pressed his thumb to the base of the cut. Katara bit her lip, tensed, but didn't kick. Zuko moved his thumb along the cut, wiping the blood and applying heat to help seal the gash.

Zuko shook his head. "What were you doing that you gashed your foot so bad?"

Katara scoffed. "Just ask Toph."

Zuko cast a downward glance, brows high. "Oh."

"I mean, it's not _my_ fault she forgot that Aang's step is a little lighter than mine," her foot tensed, as did her voice. "How could she have known who was walking along to bring her some lunch?"

Zuko gripped her foot tighter, careful of the wound. "Katara, careful—"

"Because it would've been _fine_ if she tried to surprise-attack Aang with her earthbending — after all, _Aang_ could just fly away!" Katara waved her hands as she sang the last words.

"Katara, stop kicking or you'll reopen your foot!"

Katara was jolted out of her rant when a sharp pain shot up her leg. She grunted and cringed, but Zuko held her still.

"Just relax, Katara. I can heal this for you, but you have to stay still. The more you thrash around, the deeper this gash gets."

As if to prove his point, the cut began bleeding more profusely. Zuko pressed both thumbs along it, causing Katara to whimper. She bit her lip harder.

"I'm sorry," he said, "But this is going to take a while. And it's going to hurt."

"No–mmh–no kidding," she gasped.

More blood dripped from Zuko's hands. This didn't seem to worry him, though; he was focused on the healing.

"Will I need a walking stick or anything after this?" Katara asked.

"You shouldn't, but just to be safe," he said, smirking at her, "Watch your step, because I'm not going to do this for you again."

"What? Why not?"

"Because you kicked my eye!" Zuko shouted, albeit smiling. "And besides, couldn't you just use your water to heal this?"

Katara cast a glance over her shoulder at the tent where Sokka and Aang were sleeping soundly.

"Sokka lost my gourd of Bending water in Ba Sing Se, and there isn't any water out here for a couple of miles. And even if I had my Bending water," she looked down, "It wasn't exactly 'sparkling fresh', if you know what I mean."

Zuko actually snickered. "I can imagine! With all the people you've hit with that water, it must be a Healer's nightmare!"

"Yeah," she chuckled. "I must've hit you at least a dozen times with it!"

Zuko fell silent.

Katara peered at him and cocked her head. "Something wrong, Zuko?"

He didn't immediately answer, but merely stared off, lost in his own thoughts. Then, he shuddered.

"Yeugh... Germ water."

Katara laughed. "I remember when you tried to persuade us to let you join up with us at the Western Air Temple. I really got you that ti–ow! Zuko, that hurt!"

"Hmm?" He looked up at her, a subtle smile playing at his lips. "Oh, what were saying, Katara?"

She pouted at him, to which he gave a peevish grin. Katara, for a fleeting moment, wanted to kick him again just to wipe that smug smirk off his face. She knew better, though.

Zuko felt her leg muscle go lax, and his smugness softened into something genuine. He pressed and kneaded her gash harder, and Katara gasped in pain. She then noticed that the bleeding had slowed dramatically.

"I don't like thinking about that moment, actually," he told her. "It's not because I was struck, but that I was struck _down._

"I had no one at the time; not even Uncle. I was alone. I suppose I knew it before I tried to talk to you, but until you threw me back I didn't realize just _how_ alone I was." He closed his eyes. "I remember I wanted to sink into the earth and just... well, die."

"Zuko..."

He shook his head. "Ah, forget it. It's over. You don't need to feel bad about it; it's not your fault. If I had been in your position, I would have done the same thing."

"You must have known we would reject you," she mused, matter-of-fact.

Zuko stopped moving and paused for a long while. His hands eventually began kneading again, slower.

"I... had a pretty good feeling you would. I don't know... I guess I just wanted to help so much that I had convinced myself. I thought that if I was willing to submit to you enough, then you would understand that I was serious. I know better, now, of course."

"That submitting doesn't work?"

"That I should never submit to an aggressive waterbender! Are you kidding?" He teased.

Katara shook her leg and shot him a death glare. "Oh, you – if I had my Bending water..."

"If you had your Bending water, then we wouldn't be talking," Zuko pointed out.

Katara suddenly shrieked before clamping a hand over her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut. The pain in her foot and leg was _horrendous._ Zuko winced at the abrupt noise and applied more heat as the bleeding worsened again.

"Yikes. Toph really struck a nerve."

"I'll say she did!" Katara gasped. "Remind me to freeze her feet in her sleep so she can't feel anything."

Zuko rolled his eyes. The bleeding slowed soon enough and with some additional burning and, on Katara's part, pain tolerance, the gash was sealed over with a layer of raw skin.

"I wouldn't walk on it," Zuko warned. "It still needs time to heal on its own. I've done all I can."

He helped Katara to her feet and offered to help her carry her weight on his shoulder. She gratefully accepted, but when Zuko started walking towards the camp, she stopped.

"I think I'd like to walk a little longer," she said to his questioning glance.

"But you _can't_ walk."

"Well then, I guess you'll have to walk with me," she smiled.

"I don't think you should, Katara. You should rest."

"But it's so nice tonight..."

Zuko sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be getting out of this. "Alright, I guess I'll walk with you. But only for a little while; I'm exhausted."

She smiled up at him. "I promise."

They walked together beneath the stars, chatting about various happenings that day and reminiscing on their past encounters. Things that had made them livid back then were now strangely hilarious. It was a pleasant change, this quality time they spent, from all the training and migrating. It was the first real in-depth conversation that Zuko and Katara ever shared.


End file.
